# Finally....maybe some relief



## dinokiss21 (May 25, 2007)

So, I have had acne for the last 6 years of my life. I have taken all sorts of meds oral and topical. I stopped going to the derm after I had a severe allergic reaction (was hospitalized) on bactrum (sp?) when I was 19 (about 4 yrs ago). So, today was my first visit back to the derm after all this time, because unfortunately my acne is still consistent and bad. I am going to start accutane in a month. I was given Adoxa (doxycycline) pills, a vitamin c cream cleanser, and finacea or benzaclin as an AM topical, and differin or tazoac gel as PM topical. Has anyone here used any of these tropicals? If so, which do you guys prefer? Anyhow, I'm hoping the round of accutane will help a lot, for the most part I'm excited!!!!! I know it sounds crazy, but after all these years of consistent ugly acne, all I have is to be optimistic!


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## ~*PrInCeSs*~ (May 25, 2007)

i have used tazorac,differin adn azelex (antiobiotic creme) ..i liked tazorac but its gonna peel ur skin like anything..differin didnt do ANYTHING for me..nothing at all..u know..try the murad kit before getting all these..i just started using it..and lovvvving it..if u dont like it u can always return in..ulta's very good with taking back the things u dont lik..


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## dinokiss21 (May 25, 2007)

Originally Posted by *~*PrInCeSs*~* /img/forum/go_quote.gif i have used tazorac,differin adn azelex (antiobiotic creme) ..i liked tazorac but its gonna peel ur skin like anything..differin didnt do ANYTHING for me..nothing at all..u know..try the murad kit before getting all these..i just started using it..and lovvvving it..if u dont like it u can always return in..ulta's very good with taking back the things u dont lik.. 
thank you, I have tried anything and everything....the murad wreaked havok on my face i tried it when i first started breaking out. I like tazorac and my face is super oily so it doesn't dry out as much. Thanks for the advice, much appreciated!


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## Dragonfly (May 25, 2007)

Good luck with the Accutane - it is a fantastic drug.

I had to go on a second round because my skin was sooo oily.

Now I get the occasional breakout that I can tolerate and oily skin only in the summer.

I haven't been on the meds that you mention.

I have been on Retin A for close to 20 years. The Dermatologist recommended I stop the Retin A while on the Accutane because my skin would get too dried out. I still applied it but maybe every other day.

He recommended that I use a moisturizer if I needed to - he said a thin film of Vaseline would be fine. I did that a few times a week after being on the Accutane for 1-2 months.

Be aware that your lips and nostrils can crack and bleed very easily. Always keep your lips covered with Vaseline or an emollient lip balm.

And you can put Vaseline inside nostrils (or ask pharmacist for another recommendation).

I found that my scalp got very dry - I wouldn't need to wash my hair every day.

I use to was every day, now I wash my hair every 3-4 days.

Now, I continue with the Retin A daily and I use Neo Medrol (topical anti bacterial acne lotion) whenever I break out starts. This combination works great for me now. But if I hadn't taken the Accutane, I don't think these two would have been that helpful.


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## lglala84 (May 25, 2007)

I have tried benzclin, differin gel and cream, and tazorac........and while they controlled my acne it didn't clear it up. Mostly what I get is litle whiteheads and blackheads. Wish these litle devils would leave. It's been so long since I have had a completely clear complexion.


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## dinokiss21 (May 25, 2007)

Originally Posted by *cyw1* /img/forum/go_quote.gif Good luck with the Accutane - it is a fantastic drug.I had to go on a second round because my skin was sooo oily.

Now I get the occasional breakout that I can tolerate and oily skin only in the summer.

I haven't been on the meds that you mention.

I have been on Retin A for close to 20 years. The Dermatologist recommended I stop the Retin A while on the Accutane because my skin would get too dried out. I still applied it but maybe every other day.

He recommended that I use a moisturizer if I needed to - he said a thin film of Vaseline would be fine. I did that a few times a week after being on the Accutane for 1-2 months.

Be aware that your lips and nostrils can crack and bleed very easily. Always keep your lips covered with Vaseline or an emollient lip balm.

And you can put Vaseline inside nostrils (or ask pharmacist for another recommendation).

I found that my scalp got very dry - I wouldn't need to wash my hair every day.

I use to was every day, now I wash my hair every 3-4 days.

Now, I continue with the Retin A daily and I use Neo Medrol (topical anti bacterial acne lotion) whenever I break out starts. This combination works great for me now. But if I hadn't taken the Accutane, I don't think these two would have been that helpful.

AWSOME....LOTS OF GOOD INFO...DID U USE ANY OTHER MOISTURIZER??? I TOO HAVE REALLY OILY SKIN, BUT THE PILL HE GAVE ME UNTIL I CAN START ACCUTANE IS AWSOME. THIS IS MY FIRST DAY ON IT AND MY SKIN LOOKS JUST AS FRESH AS THIS MORNING LITTLE SHINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by *lglala84* /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have tried benzclin, differin gel and cream, and tazorac........and while they controlled my acne it didn't clear it up. Mostly what I get is litle whiteheads and blackheads. Wish these litle devils would leave. It's been so long since I have had a completely clear complexion. YEA, I HAVE HAD ACNE ON MY FACE FOR A LITTLE OVER 6 YEARS. I HATE IT, ITS SO ANNOYING!!!! I HOPE THE ACCUTANE HELPS A LOT!


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## Dragonfly (May 25, 2007)

A few times I applied a small amount of Vaseline on my face.

But otherwise, I didn't find the dry skin a problem.

When I was on the Accutane, my skin lost it's oiliness and I was so thrilled that my face wasn't an oil well. Other than the Vaseline on my face, I didn't use any other moisturizer.

I don't know if your doctor told you that you will feel achy, while on the Accutane. It's because your body stops producing oil so your limbs, back and all your joints will feel really tight.

Take your Accutane in the mornings, with a little bit of oil - a good example is having a piece of toast with a tsp of butter. The Accutane needs the oil to work properly.

One thing that I notices, I had to stop wearing my contacts because my eyes got dried out, even with drops. And my night vision decreased as well. So I didn't drive after it got dark. The evening sky of 8pm seemed like 3am darkness.

However, these two things might not occur to you.

Curious, do you know the name of the pill he gave you now?


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## dinokiss21 (May 26, 2007)

thanks a lot carolyn....good thing i wear glasses not contacts lol!!!! anyhow yea he gave me adoxa...im not sure if its this pill that has stopped a lot of my oil through out today or the finacea i used this morning. I also applied tazorac last night. Those three things are the only things I changed in my routine, oh yea i also use a vita c cleanser. Who knows, but its nice to not have oil on my face by 11am when i apply my makeup at 8!!!!!!


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## Kathy (May 30, 2007)

Hope the accutane works for you Lisa!


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## dinokiss21 (May 31, 2007)

Originally Posted by *kaville* /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hope the accutane works for you Lisa! thank u I'm so ready for it!


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## BeneBaby (May 31, 2007)

I use Differin CREAM and I love it. It cured my acne alone. If you are starting Accutane it seems like they are loading you up with a lot of other products??? Be careful, because Accutane is hardcore. My BF had SERIOUS acne in highschool. He took it (that's all he did, I don't even think he washed his face!) and had some major peeling, chapped lips, dehydration etc. He took it for about a year. After that year he never had a pimple again. He is a mechanic and is around goop and grease all day, he doesn't take care of his skin and still it's perfect.

Good Luck!!


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## _withoutYou (May 31, 2007)

I've been on Accutane twice.

Good luck!


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## Solimar (May 31, 2007)

I took doxy and it really helps while you are on it. I have mild but persistent acne since before I was a teenager and now I have until August for Clindamycin and Prascion cleanser to be satisfactory before I am due to start Accutane. I mean, Doxy helped for a while, but you can't take antibiotics long term...ya know? For now, I may try birth control and keep my current regimen of Prascion cleanser twice a day, Differn cream in the AM and Clindamycin at night. I am horribly allergic to Benzoyl Peroxide, and seriously, it's the best stuff I have ever used.

Differin is SO gentle, which is why I am in love with it. It works...the gel better than the cream, I have found...but the cream is not harsh at all on my sensitive skin.

Before Accutane, look into some other stuff. Maybe you can try birth control or get blood taken to see if it is mostly a hormonal thing. Even I am sort of afraid to go on Accutane, since I have mild acne and would not want it coming back in 10 years much worse than it ever was...!

Well, good luck to you! =]


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## dinokiss21 (May 31, 2007)

Originally Posted by *BeneBaby* /img/forum/go_quote.gif I use Differin CREAM and I love it. It cured my acne alone. If you are starting Accutane it seems like they are loading you up with a lot of other products??? Be careful, because Accutane is hardcore. My BF had SERIOUS acne in highschool. He took it (that's all he did, I don't even think he washed his face!) and had some major peeling, chapped lips, dehydration etc. He took it for about a year. After that year he never had a pimple again. He is a mechanic and is around goop and grease all day, he doesn't take care of his skin and still it's perfect. 
Good Luck!!

yea i wont be on this other stuff when i start accutane....its just to help out in the meantime....i have not been to the derm in 5 yrs but 5 yrs ago i tried everything and obvisously nothing worked...so accutane here i come!!!!! thanx for the info!!!

Originally Posted by *Sincerely Me* /img/forum/go_quote.gif I took doxy and it really helps while you are on it. I have mild but persistent acne since before I was a teenager and now I have until August for Clindamycin and Prascion cleanser to be satisfactory before I am due to start Accutane. I mean, Doxy helped for a while, but you can't take antibiotics long term...ya know? For now, I may try birth control and keep my current regimen of Prascion cleanser twice a day, Differn cream in the AM and Clindamycin at night. I am horribly allergic to Benzoyl Peroxide, and seriously, it's the best stuff I have ever used. 
Differin is SO gentle, which is why I am in love with it. It works...the gel better than the cream, I have found...but the cream is not harsh at all on my sensitive skin.

Before Accutane, look into some other stuff. Maybe you can try birth control or get blood taken to see if it is mostly a hormonal thing. Even I am sort of afraid to go on Accutane, since I have mild acne and would not want it coming back in 10 years much worse than it ever was...!

Well, good luck to you! =]

yea i think im allergic to bp!!! its made me red and messed my skin up worse!

Originally Posted by *Delphine* /img/forum/go_quote.gif Accutane worked great for me. My skin cleared out within a month and I didn't have too many side effects, just dry lips and dry skin but it was so much better than the nasty acne lol! I'm on tetralysal now and after a week it seems to work pretty well. I hope accutane will work for you, I'm pretty sure it will



Keep us posted. wow i hope mine clears in a month...lol but i wont count on it!!! ill definitely keep ya posted!


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## dinokiss21 (Jun 25, 2007)

ok guys so today is the day I was prescribed accutane, although I think they gave me a generic brand for sotret??? any of you ever use this brand??? well here is my quest to beautiful clear skin...


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## Dragonfly (Jun 26, 2007)

Good Luck on the Accutane.

You picked a nice time to start - this heat and humidity is making my face really oily. My scalp dried out as well, becasue of the Accutane. You may notice that your hair will become less oily.

As I stated, I have been on Accutane twice. If you need to talk about Accutane at all or just need moral support lol, pm me.


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## vtmom (Jun 26, 2007)

My son took a six month course of accutane a couple of years ago (he used the generic too). He did not have any major problems with it, he was dry, but nothing a little lotion couldn't take care of. It helped to clear his acne, but he remained pink and somewhat blothchy until after he was off of it for a couple of months. For some time after that, his complexion really looked good. Although he never had the "perfect" skin that most people I know get after using it. Unfortunately, his acne did return about a year later and he continues to battle it. I feel so bad for him - acne can really do a number on your self-esteem. His doctor has just recently put him on doxy, which he takes at night, benzaclin in the a.m. and he continues with his retin-a micro (which he has been on for several years, minus his time on accutane) at night. I'm praying this will nip it in the bud once and for all. I will keep my fingers crossed for you. We all have enough to worry about in our lives without this. Best of luck.


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## chameleonmary (Jun 27, 2007)

going on a course of roaccutane was the best thing id ever done. i had been battling severe cystic acne for over 10 years and i found little to no side effects (except the odd patch of dry skin and dry lips) i actually miss some of the effects since i finished! nothing beat not worrying about shiny face or greasy hair (i was washing my hair every fortnight at one stage!)

good luck with it!

vtmom - re your son and his acne occurring again after roaccutane - was there any reason he was not put on the roaccutane again? i had been informed by my dermatologist that if mine flared up again i would have to do another course and that would be a 99% chance it would not recur?


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## vtmom (Jun 27, 2007)

chameleonmary - when my son finished his accutane, he was just finishing high school. When his acne returned, he was/is about 4 1/2 - 5 hours away at college. I was interested in having him do another course as I had heard exactly what you stated - that the second course often times really cures it - but he was hesitant due to the monthly blood tests, prescriptions, and concern with achiness and fatigue. Eventhough he made out fairly well the first time, I think he worried about keeping up with his studies. He's majoring in engineering, tutors on the side three days/week, and is really into weight lifting, soccer and basketball - he can't afford to suffer with any side effects. If the current regimen of benzaclin, doxy and retin-a micro don't work, we may have to consider it anyway. I pray it works.


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## dinokiss21 (Jun 29, 2007)

Originally Posted by *Carolyn* /img/forum/go_quote.gif Good Luck on the Accutane. You picked a nice time to start - this heat and humidity is making my face really oily. My scalp dried out as well, becasue of the Accutane. You may notice that your hair will become less oily.

As I stated, I have been on Accutane twice. If you need to talk about Accutane at all or just need moral support lol, pm me.


thanks alot....i have really really oily skin so im glad it should be drastically reduced!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by *vtmom* /img/forum/go_quote.gif chameleonmary - when my son finished his accutane, he was just finishing high school. When his acne returned, he was/is about 4 1/2 - 5 hours away at college. I was interested in having him do another course as I had heard exactly what you stated - that the second course often times really cures it - but he was hesitant due to the monthly blood tests, prescriptions, and concern with achiness and fatigue. Eventhough he made out fairly well the first time, I think he worried about keeping up with his studies. He's majoring in engineering, tutors on the side three days/week, and is really into weight lifting, soccer and basketball - he can't afford to suffer with any side effects. If the current regimen of benzaclin, doxy and retin-a micro don't work, we may have to consider it anyway. I pray it works.



well goodluck with your son, it sounds like the same pescritions i have been on while waiting a month to get on accutane, and the combination worked really well, although not enough to knock out the acne completely it really helped maintain my skin!!!


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## vtmom (Jun 29, 2007)

dinokiss: I'm glad to hear the combo of rx's you were on before starting the accutane helped. I am really hopeful that they will be for my son as well. Good luck - please keep me posted - I really am interested in your progress and I wish you beautiful skin!


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## dinokiss21 (Jun 30, 2007)

Originally Posted by *vtmom* /img/forum/go_quote.gif dinokiss: I'm glad to hear the combo of rx's you were on before starting the accutane helped. I am really hopeful that they will be for my son as well. Good luck - please keep me posted - I really am interested in your progress and I wish you beautiful skin!



Thanks a million, you rock!!!!!


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## dinokiss21 (Jul 28, 2007)

Well it's been a month on accutane, and no side effects yet. Although my lips are a bit dry, nothing too bad though. I still have a few small break outs, but they go away so quick! I need to find a way to get rid of some scarring, any suggestions? One thing I REALLY enjoy, is my skin no longer gets oily....gosh I never thought I'd say that. My make up is just as fresh as I applied it in the morning come night time. Gotta love that.


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## vtmom (Jul 29, 2007)

Originally Posted by *dinokiss21* /img/forum/go_quote.gif Well it's been a month on accutane, and no side effects yet. Although my lips are a bit dry, nothing too bad though. I still have a few small break outs, but they go away so quick! I need to find a way to get rid of some scarring, any suggestions? One thing I REALLY enjoy, is my skin no longer gets oily....gosh I never thought I'd say that. My make up is just as fresh as I applied it in the morning come night time. Gotta love that. That's fantastic! I'm so happy to hear you're making out so well with the accutane. Have you ever used Retin-A? I'm sure it would be too much to use while you're on the accutane, but when you're finished your course, you may want to try that for the scarring - ask your derm about it. My son is still having problems. I just got him some Nicomide-T. It's a vitamin B derivative (cream) that's used for acne. From what I've read, it's pretty good stuff. Here I go, praying again for good skin!!


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## dinokiss21 (Jul 29, 2007)

Originally Posted by *vtmom* /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's fantastic! I'm so happy to hear you're making out so well with the accutane. Have you ever used Retin-A? I'm sure it would be too much to use while you're on the accutane, but when you're finished your course, you may want to try that for the scarring - ask your derm about it. My son is still having problems. I just got him some Nicomide-T. It's a vitamin B derivative (cream) that's used for acne. From what I've read, it's pretty good stuff. Here I go, praying again for good skin!!



I will see my derm tomorrow, I think he may up my dose. Anyhow how about i pray with you for clear skin for your son


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## vtmom (Aug 1, 2007)

Originally Posted by *dinokiss21* /img/forum/go_quote.gif how about i pray with you for clear skin for your son I'd say "thanks a million" - he needs all the prayers he can get!


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## dinokiss21 (Aug 2, 2007)

Originally Posted by *vtmom* /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd say "thanks a million" - he needs all the prayers he can get! grrr...my blood work didn't come back up to par!!!!!!! i have to wait two weeks to draw more blood, and if it isn't normal then I don't get anymore accutane. I haven't taken a pill in 3 days and already i'm breaking out AGAIN!!!!


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## vtmom (Aug 2, 2007)

Originally Posted by *dinokiss21* /img/forum/go_quote.gif grrr...my blood work didn't come back up to par!!!!!!! i have to wait two weeks to draw more blood, and if it isn't normal then I don't get anymore accutane. I haven't taken a pill in 3 days and already i'm breaking out AGAIN!!!! I'm so sorry you have to wait for more bloodwork! Accutane is serious stuff, and even though this won't make you feel any less bummed out, it really is for the sake of your health. I'll keep my fingers crossed and add you, along with my son, to my "good skin" prayer list!!


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## dinokiss21 (Aug 3, 2007)

Originally Posted by *vtmom* /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm so sorry you have to wait for more bloodwork! Accutane is serious stuff, and even though this won't make you feel any less bummed out, it really is for the sake of your health. I'll keep my fingers crossed and add you, along with my son, to my "good skin" prayer list!!



thanks so much, i know the right thing will fall through in 2wks....i just have to wait it out...your simply amazing!!


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## vtmom (Aug 17, 2007)

Quote:

Originally Posted by *vtmom* 



_I'm so sorry you have to wait for more bloodwork! Accutane is serious stuff, and even though this won't make you feel any less bummed out, it really is for the sake of your health. I'll keep my fingers crossed and add you, along with my son, to my "good skin" prayer list!!



_

"thanks so much, i know the right thing will fall through in 2wks....i just have to wait it out...your simply amazing!!"

dinokiss, what happened with your bloodwork - did it come back normal? I hope so. My son came home last week and he is still having issues/breakouts. He has started using Nicomide-T and has switched from Retin-A Micro to regular Retin-A, and is continuuing with the benzaclin in the a.m. I think he likes this combination better than his previous one. He goes back to school next week where he complains about the water being so hard, which in turn is very drying to him. ahhh....will it ever end???

Hope you're having great success!!


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## dinokiss21 (Sep 15, 2007)

So I haven't logged on for a while, however I just finished my second month on accutane! My skin looks freaking amazing, don't get me wrong this month I did get about 5 pimples (very small, and they went away really really fast). I have a derm apt. mon. to get my refill, anyhow I can't believe how much this drug has worked, this was really my last result. Anyhow, just wanted to keep ya posted.


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